Kreator is a thrash metal band from Essen, Germany, formed in 1978, but formalized in 1982 under the name Tormentor. They originally performed a speed metal style with Venom influences.[1] Their style of music is similar to their compatriots Destruction and Sodom, the other two big German thrash metal bands. All three of these bands are often credited with helping pioneer death metal, by containing several elements of what was to become the genre.[2] Kreator’s work began in the vein of pure thrash metal but ventured into industrial and gothic from 1992 to 1999, before eventually returning to their classic thrash sound to date.
To date, Kreator has released twelve studio albums, two EPs, one live album and three compilation albums. The band released its debut album Endless Pain in 1985. Although many of their previous albums, including Pleasure to Kill (1986), were quite popular in the United States, Kreator did not experience major American commercial success until the 2009 release of their twelfth studio album, Hordes of Chaos, which peaked at number 165 on the Billboard 200[3] and debuted at #16 on the Media Control Charts, the band’s highest ever chart position in Germany.[4] The band is currently working on new material for a thirteenth studio album,[5][6] which is due for release in 2012.[7]
Formation and early releases (1982-1986)
The band was formed as Tyrant in 1982 in Essen, Germany. The original lineup featured vocalist/guitarist Mille Petrozza, drummer Jürgen ‘Ventor’ Reil, and bassist Rob Fioretti. They soon changed their name to Tormentor and released two demos. They changed the name of the band again to the final one, Kreator and signed to Noise Records in 1985. The name change came from the label, as there already was a band by the name Tormentor from Hungary.
Kreator recorded their debut album, Endless Pain, in just 10 days. The band hired the late Sodom guitarist Michael Wulf for the album’s tour.
Wulf was in the band for a few days and didn’t play on the band’s next album, 1986′s Pleasure to Kill, despite his getting credit. A new guitarist, Jörg “Tritze” Trzebiatowski joined the band and he played on this album, which is widely considered a thrash classic[8][9][10] and a big influence in death metal.[11][12][13] Produced by Harris Johns (Helloween, Voivod), it is arguably one of the heaviest, fastest albums in metal, while showing the band growing in talent and technical ability. The song “Flag of Hate” became an early hit, and the band became one of the most promising up-and-coming European metal acts. With Tritze the band started their first tour ever (before the release of Pleasure to Kill they had only played 5 gigs total). The band closed out the year with their first EP, Flag of Hate.
Rising popularity (1987-1991)
In 1987, Kreator released their third studio album, Terrible Certainty, which is often considered a high-quality Kreator album as the arrangements on the album were more complex and the tempos more varied.[14] The album featured another hit “Behind the Mirror”, and the band’s popularity continued to grow and a video for “Toxic Trace” was created for MTV play. They managed to find enough time and money (coming from the concerts) to finance another EP Out of the Dark … Into the Light.
Berlin based independent record label Noise Records licensed Kreator for the territories outside of Europe and Japan to the major label Epic Records in 1988. Their fourth studio album and debut with Epic (for limited territories) Extreme Aggression, recorded in Los Angeles, became a metal hit in Europe upon its release in 1989. Continuing the Terrible Certainty formula while showing the band still progressing musically and with better production by the well-regarded Randy Burns (also Megadeth among others), the album featured the band’s first major singles and music videos, the title track and “Betrayer”, becoming major hits on MTVs Headbangers Ball. They toured North America with Suicidal Tendencies, which greatly expanded their popularity outside of Europe.
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